27/01/03

KAMELOT / EPICA

This is Kamelot’s 6th studio album and their most accomplished work since my personal favourite The 4th Legacy. To say that this is an epic album is not an understatement as it is a concept album, No don’t run away, it’s good, honestly.

Based loosely around several characters taken from Greek mythology, namely Aerial, Mephisto and Helena, there are several cameo pieces that link some of the tracks together but all the songs stand up in their own right and are nothing more than classic Progressive Power Metal and if you like Helloween, Queensryche and Dream Theatre you wont be disappointed with opus.

Songs like "Centre Of The Universe", "The Edge Of Paradise" and "A Feast For The Vain" are packed full of keyboard flurry’s, guitar histrionics and time changes that keep you interested all the way. Add to this the cameo pieces that I mentioned with choirs, and all sorts of things thrown in and you have a winning formula. The lighter moments of this CD are very beautiful in particular "On The Coldest Winter Night" which would sound great coming out of the Radio. The track "Lost & Damaged" has some very strange time changes, including a waltz section in between the Rock.

DOWNLOAD : "Centre Of The Universe" from the Noise Records site above

TOTAL PLAYING TIME = 56 mins + 17 TRACKS + CD ROM (On Digipak)